Jammu, Feb 25: National Conference (NC) president and former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday expressed optimism that Jammu and Kashmir will soon regain its statehood.
Speaking to reporters after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Abdullah said, “J&K is not a state and has been downgraded to a Union Territory, but we hope that statehood will be restored soon.”
Reiterating his vision of unity and inclusivity, he said that India belongs to all its citizens, irrespective of religion. “Bharat belongs to everyone—Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians and Jains. It will remain united as long as we stand together.”
The NC chief said that unity is the key to overcoming any challenges. “If any Bharatiya faces difficulties, we will tackle them together, as we have done in the past,” he said.
When asked about the situation in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370, the former CM said, “You should come there and see for yourself.”
He added that every state has its own unique challenges, but accused the Central government of failing to acknowledge local concerns. “If we want to keep India united, we must understand the pain of all its people,” he asserted.
Referring to US President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, Abdullah questioned why India does not adopt a similar approach.
“Trump says ‘America First’; why don’t we say ‘India First’?” he said.
